BCAT News

Burlington Town Meeting gave the green light to zoning changes for three clusters of properties with the goal of attracting more life science businesses.

The proposed zoning change for these properties was to move from General Industrial (IG) to High Rise Industrial (IH), a change that allows life science and biotech “by right.” Though it says “by right” all incoming businesses must still get approval by the Board of Health and satisfy others measures.

The properties in question were designated in the warrant as Life Science Clusters A, B, and C. Cluster A includes 20 and 40 South Avenue, Cluster B includes 70, 76, 78 and 80 Blanchard Road and Cluster C includes 99 and 111 South Bedford Street and 20 Blanchard Road.

Planning Director Kristin Kassner, who presented the warrant article, said this move is a continuation of a multi-year effort to attract life science companies, a $10 billion industry in the state, to Burlington. She said after Millipore moved into town in 2016/17 there was an expectation more companies would follow but reality did not live up to that expectation. In response the town took a number of steps, including adopting the IH district zoning and obtaining a platinum rating by MassBio for doing so. These clusters are another step towards that goal.

“What we need to do now is look at opportunities and try to figure out how we can continue to attract different types of industries, especially diversifying after COVID,” she said. “The number one thing we have seen is we are way over in traditional office space so what can we be doing to diversify and how do we harness some of the opportunities out there?”

The answer, she said, is by creating sections of towns that will appeal to life science companies by making the process of moving into town easier. The other benefit of doing multiple properties in one cluster is that these types of business look for opportunities to be near other companies in the same field to share ideas, Kassner said. They like to have campus-like setups and these clusters could provide that opportunity.

“Clusters of locations, amenities and talent are really what life science and advanced manufacturers are looking for,” she said. “It’s good for momentum.”

These clusters were also chosen because they are close to Route 128 and have easy access from the highway, Kassner added.

There are also opportunities to get funding from the state for infrastructure and Kassner said approving these zoning changes would help Burlington with its applications for grants.

“A ‘yes’ vote will unlock potential and give us the tolls to create a vibrant corridor while ensuring that the appropriate traffic and infrastructure are in place to accommodate the next chapter of industry on this die of the I95/Route 129 in Burlington,” she said. “Massachusetts’ grant applications are due by June 4 for state infrastructure funding. These rezonings will show local commitment and give us an edge in grant funding for both planning and capital projects.”

Planning Board Chair Brenda Rappaport said that during a conference call with life science and biotech industry insiders, she heard that some companies are looking to take advantage of Burlington’s amenities such as restaurants and hotels but had been looking to its neighbors to set up shop.

“The life science companies are saying ‘we’re bypassing Burlington and going to Bedford and other communities where they can be shovel-ready,’” she said. “In essence we’re losing business if we don’t go forward with this. Also, a lot of people have not returned to the office and this gives the building owner the ability to change.”

Finally, Kassner said she wanted to clarify that despite the zoning type being called “High Rise Industrial” there won’t be any skyscrapers. The zoning allows for buildings up to 90 feet in height, which is only 10 feet higher than the 80 feet allowed in General Industrial districts.

Town Meeting approved the zoning change 77-0.